2017 ANNUAL REPORT A Message from the President 1 About the POLICY PROGRAMS Calendar of Events 2 Policy Conferences 6 Eric M. Warburg Chapters 7 PROGRAMS FOR THE SUCCESSOR GENERATION The American Council on Germany is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit American-German Young Leaders Conference 10 Fellowships 13 organization that was founded in 1952 to strengthen German-American relations. Leadership Missions 14 Today, the ACG works across generations to provide a deeper, more nuanced understanding about Germany, Europe, and the importance of the transatlantic MARKING 65 YEARS partnership. Through a range of programs and activities, the ACG addresses the OF STRENGTHENING 15 TRANSATLANTIC DIALOGUE most pressing economic, political, and social challenges of the day to ensure better mutual understanding. PARTNERS IN PROMOTING The ACG’s programs and activities are aimed at reaching a broad range of individuals TRANSATLANTIC UNDERSTANDING Corporate and Foundation Support 18 to strengthen German-American relations and deepen the U.S.-European partnership. Individual Support 19 This is achieved through a combination of events and outreach designed to reach Co-Sponsors and Collaborating Organizations 20 different audiences on both sides of the Atlantic to make sure they are better informed about transatlantic issues. WHO WE ARE Officers, Directors, and Staff 21 The Council is committed to: Forging Mutual Understanding of Tomorrow’s Challenges The ACG equips opinion leaders and decision-makers in a variety of fields with ideas and perspectives on important political, economic, and social developments on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. The Council’s policy discussions, conferences, and other programs engage multipliers from nongovernmental organizations, government, business, academia, the military, and media on both sides of the Atlantic. On issues such as environmental sustainability, trade relations, security policy, and urban development, to name just a few, the ACG provides a forum to examine challenges facing our societies Vision and to propose possible strategies and collaborative solutions for the future. Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders The American Council on Germany The ACG invests in the future of the transatlantic relationship by helping the next (ACG) is the leading U.S.-based generation of leaders in Germany and the United States learn about this indispensable partnership, exchange best practices, and build networks across the Atlantic. The forum for strengthening German- American-German Young Leaders Conferences, fellowships, and leadership missions American relations. It delivers a deep bring together the next generation of German and American academics, journalists, and other professionals from diverse fields to deepen their understanding of and nuanced understanding of why transatlantic issues while forging lasting bonds with one another. Germany matters, because the only Addressing Global Issues Nationwide The ACG recognizes the importance of presenting global issues not only to way to understand contemporary policymakers in Washington, DC, and business leaders in New York, but also to Europe is to understand Germany’s decision-makers and practitioners at the local level in communities across the United States. Through its 21 Eric M. Warburg Chapters, the ACG provides its members and role within Europe and around the general public with opportunities to engage with their counterparts in Germany the world. And, the only way to to address the most pressing economic, political, and social issues on the transatlantic agenda that are affecting their communities. understand contemporary Germany is Informing Members and the Community at Large to put it in a European context. The ACG keeps its members and friends informed through a range of programs, activities, and updates, including its weekly news digest, Hot Topics Calls, and podcasts. In addition, the Council reaches across generations, sectors, and regional boundaries to inform the community at large about important issues influencing the transatlantic partnership. 2 n Strengthening Transatlantic Dialogue Much as the world was coming to terms with a new world order in the 1950s following the devastation of two world wars, today the United States and a unified Germany face a global environment with a host of domestic and foreign challenges. Dr. Steven E. Sokol ACG President A Message from the President In the early 1950s, a small group of women and men had the foresight have participated in the American-German Young Leaders Conference to create an organization dedicated to promoting transatlantic relations since its inception, including the newly minted German Consul General and to changing the perception of Germany in the United States after in New York, David Gill. The ACG has also supported the work of more the first half of the 20th century. Although the world has changed than 1,100 fellows who have traveled across the Atlantic to exchange considerably since then, the role the American Council on Germany plays best practices, learn, and conduct research. today to strengthen ties across the Atlantic is more important than ever. 2017 saw not only the ACG’s 65th anniversary but also the 25th In January 2017, almost exactly 65 years after its founding, the ACG anniversary both of our formalized national outreach through a network kicked off the year with a discussion with the German Permanent of 21 Eric M. Warburg Chapters and the John J. McCloy Awards Dinner. Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador Harald Braun talked The ACG honored Wolfgang Kirsch, the head of DZ BANK, with a McCloy about the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of today’s Award for supporting a strong transatlantic alliance, as well as the world. In many senses, 2017 epitomized the uncertainty of this era. A ACG’s work. At the dinner, Mr. Kirsch announced the launch of a new new U.S. President took office in a divided nation following one of the fellowship focused on deepening understanding of the global economy most divisive election campaigns in modern history. At the same time, in a transatlantic context. The ACG’s outgoing Chairman, Ambassador many Europeans looked ahead to the year’s elections at the state and Robert M. Kimmitt, was honored with the 2017 Leadership Award national level across the continent with trepidation given the rise of for his steadfast roles as “a dedicated Chairman and a passionate populism and the polarization of politics. With the election results in transatlanticist,” as Chancellor Merkel described him in a letter read the Netherlands, France, and even Germany, Europe largely dodged a at the dinner. populist bullet. However, the ascendancy of the Alternative for Germany In January 2018, after nearly seven years as the ACG’s indefatigable (AfD) to the Bundestag and the political wrangling to form a new Chairman, Ambassador Kimmitt formally passed the baton to government caused additional angst. Ambassador John B. Emerson, Vice Chairman at Capital Group It is fair to say that in 2017 both the United States and the European International. Ambassador Kimmitt had served as U.S. Ambassador to Union, as well as individual member states, were inward-looking. The Germany from 1991 to 1993, and his successor as ACG Chairman served “America First” rhetoric in the United States and the preoccupation with in this same role from 2013 to 2017. Ambassador Emerson previously elections in Europe and coalition-building in Europe were impediments addressed ACG audiences on various occasions and had traveled to to a vibrant and dynamic transatlantic partnership. Yet, at the end of Germany in 1988 on an ACG Political Exchange Fellowship. The ACG is the year it appeared as though we had come full circle. At an ACG event extremely grateful to Ambassador Kimmitt for his committed service, in December, the new German Permanent Representative to the UN – and is very pleased to work with Ambassador Emerson in this new and former National Security Advisor to the Chancellor – Ambassador capacity. Christoph Heusgen, and the President of the Council on Foreign Much as the world was coming to terms with a new world order in the Relations, Richard Haass, discussed the future of multilateralism in light 1950s following the devastation of two world wars, today the United of today’s global challenges. Together they contended – as did other States and a unified Germany face a global environment with a host of speakers over the course of the year – that the transatlantic relationship domestic and foreign challenges. In its 65-plus-year history, the ACG has is indispensable in meeting common challenges in a complex global been gratified to invest in the future of the transatlantic relationship by environment. analyzing these challenges, building strong networks, and cultivating In addition to holding almost 50 policy discussions in New York City new generations of transatlanticists. Together with you, we will keep and Washington, DC, during the year, the Council continued its newer strengthening one of the most important bilateral relationships in the initiatives to respond to current developments, including its Hot Topics world today. conference calls, podcasts, and weekly news digest. Through the ACG’s efforts to cultivate future transatlanticists, more than 1,000 rising stars March 2018 20172017 ANNUALANNUAL REPORTREPORT n n 31 Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick, former President of the World Bank and a former Speakers Christopher M. Schroeder (1991 Young Leader), an